This has got to be my favorite freezer meal so far. Loads of veggies, hearty brown rice, and a delicious sauce that takes ZERO time to prep and re-heat. Its also an easy recipe to sub- in and out different ingredients and veggies, and use up any extra produce in your fridge.
You'll really thank yourself for making this on a busy weeknight where you don't really want to make chicken nuggets again AND you forgot to get something out of the freezer the night before. This will save your ass. It has saved mine SEVERAL times.
Ingredients (makes TWO bags):
2 cups brown jasmine rice, cooked & divided
4 cups of fresh or frozen broccoli florets, divided
16 oz. sliced mushrooms, divided
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced and divded
4 cups of sugar snap peas, divided
Sauce (each bag):
1/4 cup coconut aminos
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger root, grated
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Cook the rice according to package directions. You will need two large gallon freezer bags, and two snack or sandwich sized baggies (for the sauce).
To assemble the bags, place half of the cooked rice in the bottom of each freezer bag. Next, place 2 cups broccoli, 8 oz. mushrooms, 1 bell pepper, and 2 cups of sugar snap peas in EACH freezer bag.
In two small bowls, or directly into the snack baggies, assemble all the sauce ingredients (recipe above is for 1 baggie, so you will need to double the ingredients for the second bag). Release all the air out of the baggie before sealing completely. Slip the small snack baggie of sauce into the gallon freezer bags, remove any excess air, and seal the gallon freezer bag. Label, date, and lay flat in your freezer. Once frozen, you can stack or reorganize. This will stay good in your freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil, and pour the contents of the gallon freezer bag into the skillet, reserving the sauce baggie to the side. Stir, cover, and steam for about 5 minutes. Stir again and add a couple tablespoons of water, cover again to steam for another 5 minutes.
Run the sauce baggie under some warm water until defrosted. Shake up to combine, and pour over the veggies and rice. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes, or until veggies soften until fork-tender. Serve immediately and store leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week.